Method of making camphene and vinyl cyclohexene resin



substances.

vinyl cyclohexene polymerizes under the influence with precipitation of the insoluble type.

Patented Sept. 18, 1951 METHOD OF MAKING CAMPHENE AND VINYL CYCLOHEXENE RESIN Samuel G. Burroughs, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Pennsylvania Industrial Chemical Corporation, Clairton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania No Drawing. Application August 23, 1948, Serial No. 45,785

7 Claims.

This invention relates to aresin composed of mixed vinyl cyclohexene and camphene polymers and/or copolymers.

l-vinyl cyclohexene-3 is produced as a deriva- As produced it is associated bined proportion of about to of those This impure, approximately 85% of aluminum chloride and related acid-reacting metal halide catalysts very slowly and incompletely to form two types of resin, one of which has a melting point of about 100 and is soluble inmineral spirits at normal room temperature, and the other of which is infusible and is insoluble in all commonly. used organic solvents.

These two types of resin are formed approximately simultaneously and separate from each other Because of poor yield and the impossibility of directing the polymerization reaction, the impure cyclohexene is to be considered valueless as a starting material for the production of resin of either type. I have, however, found that by purifying the vinyl cyclohexene and by subjecting it to polymerization in association with camphene, I am able to obtain good yields of solid resins.

Any suitable purification procedure may be followed to obtain an approximately pure vinyl cyclohexene starting materiaL. One specific procedure which I have advantageously followed is to wash-the impure vinyl cyclohexene by-product 1 with 59 Baum sulphuric acid (74%) at 5 C. The product of the purification consists of about 95% pure vinyl cyclohexene responding apparentlyto the formula This acid washed vinyl cyclohexene has a specific a refractive index of;1.464 at C. This maheating.

terial when diluted with a hydrocarbon diluent, such as toluol, and subjected to a polymerization reaction with aluminum chloride, or its substantial equivalent as a catalyst, gives a yield of about of infusible insoluble resin, and about a 20% yield of resin having a melting point of 80 C. (ball and ring) which is soluble in mineral spirits at normal room temperature. There is great diversity in the properties of the diverse types of resin so produced inasmuch as the-insoluble type is not soluble to any appreciable extent in toluol,. acetone, alcohol, ethyl-acetate, carbon tetrachloride, or mineral spirits, with It also is not soluble in molten coumarone-indene resin, or molten terpene resin. The insoluble type of vinyl cyclohexene resin does not melt up to its decompositionpoint. A less carefully acid washed vinyl cyclohexene, which I also have used, is between and pure.

Whereas the twodiverse resins of the insoluble and soluble types have each its individual utility, I have discovered that a more useful product is obtained by polymerizing a mixture of the vinyl cyclohexene, which as shown in the formula is a mixed cyclic and open chain material, with camphene to produce a soluble, thermoplastic resin. Apparently such resin is in part at least the result of copolymerization, inasmuch as up to a certain percentage of the vinyl cyclohexene only soluble polymers are formed and the resultant resin is obtained in higher yield and has a higher melting point than the theoretical average to be anticipated from the mixture.

Camphene is a turpentine isomerate giving by itself relatively poor response to polymerization promoting stimuli, even when subjected to polymerization with the most active of the acidreacting metallic halides. The camphene which chiefly I subject to polymerization in conjunction with vinyl cyclohexene is the practical grade of camphene vas prepared by Eastman Kodak Co. It melts close to 32 C. and is about pure commercial exemplification of practical" camphene or a prepared relatively pure camphene with vinyl cyclohexene, a yield of higher softening point resin than is obtainable from camphene by itself is obtained in a yield much greater than that obtained without inclusion of the vinyl cyclohexene. .In mixtures of vinyl cyclohexene with camphene below the maximum permissible proportion of the vinyl cyclohexene approximately all of the vinyl cyclohexene which is included partakes in the formation of soluble-thermoplastic resin without any substantial formation of insoluble polymers.

As a general procedure the camphene is dissolved in the vinyl cyclohexene-which has been subjected to a purification treatment, such" as the one above described, and an organic diluent which is substantially inert. to polymerization with the vinyl cyclohexene and the campheneand is brought into reactive contact with an acidreacting metal halide polymerization catalyst, such as anhydrous aluminum chloride, aluminum bromide; stannic chloride, titanium tetrachloride, '-antimony-pentachloride; ferric chloride and the corresponding bromides of these latter metals,

: aluminum chloride-and aluminum bromide being "preferred. During the progress of the polymerization reaction, thereaction temperature is maintained within a-range which desirably is suitable for relatively rapid polymerization without reaction surge, such as a' temperature within 'the approximate range of C. to 80 C., a tem- '--perature withinthe range of about 35 C. to 60 C. J being considered optimum from the viewpoints of reaction speedand' ease of temperature control. Upon the completion of catalyst addition,

' which -desirably is' effected without such rapidity as to cause'a surge,agitation of the reaction mixture iscontinued for a substantialperiod' of time completely to polymerize the -vinyl cyclohexene and the camphene.

To remove the catalyst at the end of the polymeriza-tion treatment--two standard recovery -metheds may beemployed. In accordancewith one such procedure the mixture is drownedzwith a-5% water solution of hydrochloric or. sulphuric acid, and is then water washedzandneutralized with a %=.water-solution of sodium carbonate. "The washed solution is thenwarmed to 60? C. 1 and is allowed. to settle until a clearresin solution is:obtained. Such-resin solution isdistilled, desirably at a still "temperature of about 210. C.,

and is then steamadistilledat still temperatures within the range of about 210 C; to: 260 C. until aresin of the desired softeningpoint remains as a residue.

. The other method. of removing-catalystand vrecovering. solid .resinctends. to give a. somewhat alighter color .than .the1method .described'above. In accordance .with. this .latter procedurev the :.-::polymerization mixture allowed to. settleuntil .the metal halidesludgeseparates out, which ,sep-

aration is: completewithinjabout one hour. to

.....lime.-for a period of three hours.

'treatmenthydrochloric acid is driven off and the original .soluble. aluminum chloride complex acidity, which is not of-necessity dry, and slacked During this comes down as a precipitate. An appropriate 4 quantity of clay for use in the reflux purification is about 7.5% of the total weight of vinyl cyclohexene and camphene and a quantity of lime equal to the weight of the clay desirably is used.

a As low as 5% clay and lime may be used and as much maybe used as will not'interfere with the of clay and lime is usable. 'resin solution is filtered and a clear light yellow "resin solution is obtained, one of the common refluxing. Up to as much as to each After refluxing, the

commercial filter aids desirably being used during the filtering. This resin solution is then steam-distilled, desirably at still temperatures of about 210 C; to 260 (3., until solid resin of the desired melting point remains as a residue. '..The.above recovery procedure results in the production of a resin of particularly light color,

but does so at the sacrifice of a small proportion 'of the resin yield which is retained in the sludge initially separated from the resin solution. This proportion of the resincarried'down with the sludge maylargely be recovered by drowning the sludge with a 5% water solution of hydrochloric acid or" sulphuric acid, then agitating the-resin with an organic solvent, such as distilled solvent naphtha, and distilling ofi the solvent." This leads to recovery of entrapped resin which is of darker color than that obtained by steam distillation of the 'resin solution.

It has been noted that the mixture of vinyl cyclohexene and'camphene is diluted with-an organic solvent diluent inert topolymerization .under conditions of the-process. That diluent preferably isone of the low aniline point organic solvents which is inert in 'the'process, as'for example one of the aromatichydrocarbon solvents which have nopnsaturation outside the benzene ring, such" as benzol; toluol, xylol; refined solvent'naphtha' and "ethyl benzeneyor' one of the chlorinated aromatic solvents, such as chlorobenzol. Regardless of the specific solvent'which time, and also to require that anincreasedquantity of catalyst be used in order to makereactive contact' with the polymerizable vinyl cyclohexene and camphene. Also it is uneconomical. to .use

and distill off more diluent than performs a useful purpose during the polymerization reaction. As a practical consideration I prefer. to include the diluent inno more than about of the total volume. of the reaction mixture.

I have foundzthat in. using anhydrous aluminum chloride or aluminumz'bromide as the polymerization catalyst as little as 3% by weight of such catalyst with respect to the combined weight of the vinyl cyclohexene and camphene is surficient to efiect complete polymerization, and even less than 3% may. usefully be employed. Preferably I utilize anhydrous aluminum chloride or aluminum bromide in a quantity equal to about 4% to 15% the weight of the combined vinyl cyclohexene and camphene in accordance with the other conditions of theprocess. Quantities of those catalysts over 25% eifect no appreciable shortening in the time required for the polymerization reaction even whenconductof" the polymerization at low temperature indicates the use of a relatively large proportion of catalyst, unless a particularly great volume of diluent also invention.

.be used. In proportioning the catalyst to the polymerizable constituents ofareaction mixture I the. other metal halide catalysts of the Friedel- Crafts type which have been noted abovecan usefully, be proportioned to the above preferred reaction mixture is desirably increased or decreased with respect to the quantity of aluminum chloride used in proportion as the molecular weight of that particular catalyst is greater or less than that-of aluminum chloride.

the mixtureto raise the melting point of the resin which may be recovered. It is to be noted that this function is performed down to the least pro portion of vinyl cyclohexenewhich gives a perceptible increase. That minimum proportion is, as will be exemplified herein, below of vinyl cyclohexene in the mixture of that material with 1 camphene, if in fact there is any proportion which 7 may be considered as an absolute minimum exerting no measurable effect onthe product resin. For purposes of practical definition of the point at which the effect of including vinyl cyclohexene becomes negligible; I give 10% as a minimum. In seeking to obtain resin of particularly high melting point the proportion of vinyl cyclohexene to camphene can be increased for the production of high melting thermoplastic resin up to a point at which the proportion of insoluble polymers renders further increase in the proportion of the vinyl cyclohexene uneconomical. I have found that the best average results both as to the melting point of the thermoplastic resin which is produced and the'yield of such thermoplastic resin are obtained when the vinyl cyclohexene 'constitutes about to 45% or the polymerizable mixture, there being a substantial production ofinsoluble resin when equality in the weights of the two ingredients is approached with rapid hexene in which the vinyl cyclohexene is included r in a proportion of from 10% to 50% ofthe total blend and most desirably in a proportion of from 25% to 45% of the blend in order to obtain-maximum inclusion of vinyl cyclohexene in the resin polymers without forming insoluble polymers, the proportions being by weight.

The following will exemplify the method of my Example 1 I Inthi's example the vinyl cyclohexene forming anelement of theblended starting material was about 90% pure figured on the basis of total The camphene was the pracwashed with water. The camphene when subjected to polymerization by itself under the influence of anhydrous aluminum chloride gave a yield of solid 80 C. (ball and ring) soften- .ing point terpene resin. The reaction mixture .wwasmade up by blending 100 cc. (83 gm.) of vinyl cyclohexene and-140 cc. (120 gm.) of the camphene with 300 cc. of toluol. 18 gm. of anhydrous aluminum chloride was added as catalyst and was brought with agitation into reactive contact with the vinyl cyclohexene and camphene of the reaction liquid. The catalyst was added to the reaction mixture in small increments during a period of 1 hour and after addition of the catalyst was complete the reaction mixture was stirred foran additional period of 2 hours. During the reaction the temperature was held by circulation of heat abstracting liquid through cooling jackets to a range of C. to C.

At the end of the polymerization treatment the reaction mixture was warmed to C., was allowed to settle and a clear solution was decanted. The clear solution was refluxed with clay and lime and was filtered. The filtered resin solution was distilled to 210 C. (still temperature) and was steam distilled at a still temperature of from 210 C. to 260 C. until a residue of solid resin was obtained. No insoluble resin was formed.

The resin recovered by distillation'was in a yield of 146 gm. of thermoplastic soluble resin, having a softening point of 108 C. (ball and ring)v and a color-8 on the Gardner scale. This resin when dissolved in an equal proportion by weightof mineral spirits showed no cloud down to a temperature of 0 C.

The sludge which settled was washed with a 5% water solution of hydrochloric acid and was agitated with distilled solvent naphtha.

scale and a softening point (ball and ring) of 120 C. Thisrresin also when dissolved in an equal weight of mineral spirits showed no cloud down to 0 C.

The two resins gave a total yield of 168 gm.

' (83.2%) and an average melting point of 110 C.

Example 2 In this example the vinyl cyclohexene was acid washed and about 95% pure figured on a basis of total unsaturation, having a bromine number of 259, and the camphene was of the same grade as in Example 1. They were blended in the pro portion of122 cc. (100 gm.) of vinylcyclohexene and 118 cc. (101 gm.) of camphene with 300 cc.

of toluol to form the reaction mixture. To this reaction liquid 16 gm. of anhydrous aluminum chloride was added as catalyst and was brought .with agitation into reactive contact with the vinyl cyclohexene and camphene of the reaction liquid. As in the foregoing example, the aluminum chloride was added to the reaction mixture in small increments during a period of .1 hour, and after addition of the catalyst was complete the reaction mixture was stirred for an additional period of 2 hours.

" in an equal proportion"by- 'weight"of' mineral "spirits showed nocloud down to atemperature It may be notedthat the foregoing example exemplifies the approximate maximum propor- 'tion of vinyl cyclohexene whichdesirably can-be included in producing a thermoplastic resin from a 'mixed starting material consisting of camphene and vinyl cyclohexene.

Example 3 Astartingmaterial was made by mixing vinyl cyclohexene and camphene ofthe same'grades used in Example 2 The mixture was-made up of 48 cc. '(42-gm.)' of the vi'nylcyclohexene and I 215 cc. (182 gm.) of the camphene with 300 cc. of toluo1.-' 20 gm. of anhydrous aluminum chloride was added during a period of 1 hour and was brought with agitation into reactive contact with the vinyl cyclohexene and camphene of the reaction liquid. The reaction mixture was 'stirred for an additional period of 2 hours. During The resin recoveredby distillation 'was a thermoplastic solubleresin havingan averaged di-fsoftening point (ball and ring) of 98 C. and a "color 6 on the Gardner'scalei The yield of solid =thermoplastic resin, no insoluble-resin being formed, was 160 gm. (70%) the'weight of the combined vinyl cyclohexene'and camphene. The

.resin when dissolved in an equal proportion 'by =weight of mineral spirits showed no cloud down" to a temperature of 0 C.

The foregoing exemplifies the fact that a relatively small proportion of vinyl cyclohexene when blended with camphene materially afiects the results of the polymerization. The result of inm eluding with the camphene only a small proportion of the vinyl cyclohexene is therefore to obtain anappreciably increased yield of a resin of appreciably higher softeningpoint with respect to the yield and softening point obtained by poly- 4 meriZing the camphene" alone.

'i...Example 4 In this example vinylcyclohexene and'camphene of the same grades a's'those' used in Examples 2 and 3 were mixed. The reaction mixture was made up by" blending 140 cc. (116 gm)" of vinyl cyclohexene and 140' cc. '(120 gm.) of'the camphene with 300 cc; of toluol, and 28 gm. (12%) aluminum chloride was added as the catalyst'and by circulation of heat abstracting'liquid through cooling jacketsto a range of 20 C. r030 C.

Insoluble resin in the *amount of" 18 gm. was

formed.

The recovery procedurewas identicalwith that of Example 1 and the: other'preceding'examples.

Because of the lower temperature at' whichthe polymerization.wasconducted there wasiagreater precipitation of sludge than resulted from the polymerization in. Examples l',-2 a'nd 3.

The resin recovered byidis'tillation was 'a yield of 186 gm j. 80%1) oi thermoplastic solulzvle resin 8 "'havingan-averaged"softening point of 114- C. ".(ball and ring) and a color 9 onthe-"Gardner ""sc'ale. *All this soluble-resin when dissolved in an equal-proportion by weight of mineral spirits 5 showed no cloud down to a temperature of 0 C.

. Example 5 '5Lwas.that described in Example 2 :The! resin recovered by distillation" was a wtthermoplastic soluble resin having an-averaged softening point of 118 C. (ball and-ringland a -color 9 on the Gardner scale. -'I he#yieldl.was

:1168.gm. 182%) of: resin all of which when dis- :solved in an equal proportion by weight of min- ...eral"spirits showed no cloud down to a tempera- ':;..ture of 0 C. No insoluble. resin was formed.

"Example 6 Vinyl cyclohexene and camphene of the same grades as in Examples 2 and 3 were blended in .the proportion of 48 cc. (42 gm.) of vinyl cyclo- .-hexene and215 cc. (182 gm.) of camphenewith 300 cc. of toluol to form the reaction mixture.

35 .To-this reactionliquid 24 gm; (12%) of anyhdrous aluminum chloride was'added as the catalyst andwasbrought with agitation into reactive contact with the vinyl cyclohexene and camphene .of thereactiori liquid.

. '.The..'polymerization procedure wa'sidentical with that described Example 4.""The'resin recovery was as describedin'Exampl'e 1.

'The resin recovered by 'dis'tillation was a ,1 thermoplastic soluble resin "having" an averaged 'lsofteningpoint of 95 C. (ball and ring) and a "colorfi on the'Gardner 's'c'ale." The yield of solid thermoplastic resin; no insoluble resin' being 'formedy'was 156'gm. (70%')' theweight'of the "combined vinyl c'yclohexene' and camphene- All the resin when dissolved in an "equal proportion by weight of mineral-spirits showed="nocloud down to atemperature of 0 C.

The foregoing Examples 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the 'fact -that"with lower reaction temperature it is desirable to use an increased quantityfiot catalyst and to continue the :polymerization "period lior nan": extendedi'llen'gth' of "time in'z-order to secure yields close to those obtained at. higher temperature. Asv noted above the vinyl cyclo- "O hexene is relatively sluggish in its response to polymerization promoting stimuli Itwill be noted that in Examples 4, 5 and fithe'l'ower "temperature of polymerizationgives a resinot somewhat "higher softening point, "obtained" in "5" slightly decreased yield. At the expenseofian "*even"more"extended reactionp'eriod the polymerization' at the lower temperaturagives an almost equal yield of resin as compared with the higher temperature, while obtaining the'ben'efit of higher softening point.

Using the same proportions of vinyl c'yclohex- *ene and camphene asin Examples 41 and 6 polymerization-was conducted at a temperature within the range'of 10 C.--to 15" C. 'In-each instancecatalyst in a quantity equal to 18% the weight of the combined vinyl cyclohexenev and camphene was used and the polymerization period after addition of the catalyst was extended The other acid-reacting metal halides are usable in the process. Even when employed in increased quantity the give lower yields of resin.

In all the foregoing examples the camphene is the so-called practical grade melting at 32 C., indicating a purity of 92%. In using a camphene of higher purity, slightly higher yields of resin of slightly higher softening pointare obtained.

The resin produced from a mixed vinyl cyclohexene and camphene starting material corresponds in most particulars to terpene resins, such as beta-pinene resin. In all proportioning of the two ingredients of the starting material the resin is usable in all ways in which a straight terpene resin is usable, as for example in coating compositions, hot melt coatings, adhesives,

rubber compounding, chewing gum bases and the like. Guides to satisfactory procedure in such uses are found in patents to Frank W. Corkery and Samuel G. Burroughs No. 2,320,717; No. 2,319,389; No. 2,320,716; No. 2,320,718; and No. 2,357,811.

Although terpene resins as carefully produced are considered to possess good color stability, the resin produced by polymerizing a mixture of vinyl cyclohexene and camphene exhibits higher resistance to color development than do the straight terpene resins, including straight betapinene resin.

It has been noted above that it is desirable in the process to use an inert solvent diluent of low aniline point. I have found it preferable to use such solvent diluents as have an A. S. T. M. D611-46T aniline point no higher than 35 C. Most of the commercially desirable solvents of this sort have aniline points by the above determination falling within the range of about 15 C. to 35 C. v

Throughout the specification aniline point, where not specifically qualified'by the method of its determination, is to be understood as determined by the A. S. T. M. D611-46T aniline point method. Where not specifically qualified in the specification, softening point is to be understood as determined by the ball and ring method ofwsoftening point determination. Where not specifically qualified in the specification, distillation temperatures are to be understood as taken at 1,50 mm. of mercury. Where not specifically ualified proportions are to be understood as Hroportions by weight. In any example in which :there is no notation as to the formation of insoluble resin, no insoluble resin was formed.

In my companion application serial No. 45,783, filed of even date herewith I have disclosed the polymerization of turpentines and mixtures of turpentines with the defined cyclic monoolefine in which a vinyl group has been substituted, and in my like companion applications Serial No. 45,784 and Serial No. 45,786, I have respectively disclosed the polymerization of alpha-pinene and beta-pinene individually with that substance. Herein I have disclosed the polymerization of camphene, which may be an isomerate of those other terpenes with that defined cyclic monole fine, l-vinyl cyclohexene-3, designated throughout the specification simply as vinyl cyclohexene,

and to the resin produced by that polymerization.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of producing hard resin polymers by bringing a mixture of l-vinyl cyclohexene-3 (cyclic dimer of butadiene) and camphene in a proportion of vinyl cyclohexene equal to from 10% to 50% the weight of the blend into reactive contact with an acid-reacting metal,

halide polymerization catalyst in the presence of an inert solvent diluent for the polymers of the said vinyl cyclohexene and camphene, to form hard resin polymers of vinyl cyclohexene and camphene in solution, and recovering the resin polymers so formed.

2. The method of producing hard resin polymers by bringing a mixture of l-vinyl cyclohexene-3 (cyclic dimer of butadiene) and camphene in a proportion of vinyl cyclohexene equal to from 25% to 45% the weight of the blend into reactive contact with an acid reacting metal halide polymerization catalyst in the presence of an inert solvent diluent for the polymers of the said vinyl cyclohexene and camphene, to form hard resin polymers of vinyl cyclohexene and camphene in solution, and recovering the resin polymers so formed.

3. The method of producing hard resin polymers by bringing a mixture of l-vinyl cyclohexene-8 (cyclic dimer of butadiene) and camphene in a proportion of vinyl cyclohexene equal to from 10% to 50% the weight of the blend into reactive contact with aluminum chloride polymerization catalyst in the presence of an inert solvent diluent for the polymers of the said vinyl cyclohexene and camphene, to form hard resin polymers of vinyl cyclohexene and camphene in solution, and recovering the resin polymers so formed.

4. The method of producing hard resin polymers by bringing a mixture of l-vinyl cyclohexene-3 (cyclic dimer of butadiene) and camphene in a proportion of vinyl cyclohexene equal to from 10% to 50% the weight of the blend into reactive contact with aluminum bromide polymerization catalyst in the presence of an inert solvent diluent for the polymers of the said Vinyl cyclohexene and camphene to form hard resin polymers of vinyl cyclohexene and camphene in solution, and recovering the resin polymers so formed.

5. The method of producing hard resin polymers by bringing a mixture of l-vinyl cyclohexene-3 (cyclic dimer of butadiene) and camphene in a proportion of vinyl cyclohexene equal to from 25% to 45% the weight of the blend into reactive contact with aluminum chloride polymerization catalyst in the presence of an inert solvent diluent for the polymers of the said vinyl cyclohexene and camphene to form hard resin polymers of vinyl cyclohexene and camphene in solution, and recovering the resin polymers so formed.

6. The method of producing hard resin polymers by bringing a mixture of l-vinyl cyclohexene-3 (cyclic .dimer of butadiene) and camphene in a proportion of 'vinyl cyclohexene equal to from 25% to 45% the weight of the blend into reactive contact with aluminum bromide polymerization catalyst in the presence of an inert solvent diluent for the polymers of the said vinyl cyclohexene'and camphene to form hard resin polymers of vinyl cyclohexene and camphene in solution, vand recovering .theresin polymerswso Number Name Date formed 2,401,414 Doumani .June.,4, 1946 '7. The resin produced by the process of claimflr r 2,475,234.; Gleasonet a1. .Ju1y 5, 1949 SAMUEL vC1. BURROUGHS; 1 2,487,898]. Rummelsbllrg.. nNOV.r15,.,1949 f V REFERENGESCITED 0 FOREIGN PATENTS The following references are of record in the- Number Country Date file of vthis patent: 614,781 Great Britam Dem-22, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Number Name Date I Laitinen et 2.1.; Ind. andEng; Chem., Analytic" 2,346,791 Rummelsburg Apr; '18, 1944 Edi, vol. 1'7,'pp. j769-772 (Dem-1945). 2,349,210 Traylor May 16, 1944 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING HARD RESIN POLYMERS BY BRINGING A MIXTURE OF 1-VINYL CYCLOHEXENE-3 (CYCLIC DIMER OF BUTADIENE) AND CAMPHENE IN A PROPORTION OF VINYL CYCLOHEXENE EQUAL TO FROM 10% TO 50% THE WEIGHT OF THE BLEND INTO REACTIVE CONTACT WITH AN ACID-REACTING METAL HALIDE POLYMERIZATION CATALYST IN THE PRESENCE OF AN INERT SOLVENT DILUENT FOR THE POLYMERS OF THE SAID VINYL CYCLOHEXENE AND CAMPHENE, TO FORM HARD RESIN POLYMERS OF VINYL CYCLOHEXENE AND CAMPHENE IN SOLUTION, AND RECOVERING THE RESIN POLYMERS SO FORMED. 